DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3909#0154
( 34 |
a passage or word in the Koran. Men and women assemble at that meeting. There appears to
be no purdah whatsoever in Dardu land, and the women are remarkably chaste. The
little imitation of Pardah amongst the Ranis.of Ghilgit was a mere fashion imported from
elsewhere. Till the child receives a name, the woman is declared impure for the seven days
previous to the ceremony. In. Ghilgit 2.7 days are, allowed to elapse till the woman is
declared pure. Then the bed and clothes are washed and the woman is restored to the
company of her husband and the visit of her friends. Men and women eat together
everywhere in Dardu land. In Astor,' raw milk alone cannot be drunk together with a
woman unless thereby it is intended that she should be a sister by faith and come within
the prohibited degrees of relationship. When men drink of the same raw milk they thereby
swear each other eternal friendship. In Ghilgit this custom does not exist, but it will at
once be perceived that much of what has been noted above belongs to Mussulman custom
generally.. When a son is born great rejoicings take place, and in Ghilgit a musket is
fired off by the. father whilst the "Bang" is being read.
(d.)—MARRIAGE.
In Ghilgit it appears to be a more simple ceremony than in Chilas and Astor.
The father of the boy goes to the father of the girl and presents him with a knife about
1^ feet long, 4 yards of cloth and a pumpkin filled with wine. If the father accepts the
present the betrothal is arranged. It is generally the fashion that, after the betrothal,
which is named: '' Sheir qatar wiye, balli piye, == 4 yards cf cloth and a knife he
has given, the pumpkin he has drunk," the marriage takes place. A betrothal is
inviolable, and is only dissolved by death as far as the woman is concerned. The
young man is at liberty to dissolve the contract. When the marriage day arrives
the men and women who are acquainted with the parties range themselves in rows at
the house of the bride, the bridegroom with her at his left sitting together at the end of
the row. The Molla then reads the prayers, the ceremony is completed and the
playing, dancing and drinking begin. It is considered the proper thing for the bride-
groom's father, if he belongs to the true Shin race, to pay 12 tolas of gold of the value [at
Ghilgit] of 15 Rupees Nanakshahi (10 annas each) to the bride's father, who, however, generally>
returns it with the bride, in kind—rdresses, ornaments, &c, &c The 12 tolas are not always, or
even generally, taken in gold, but oftener in kind—clothes, provisions and ornaments. At
Astor the ceremony seems to be a little more complicated. There the arrangements are
managed by third parties; an agent being appointed on either side. The father of the
young man sends a present of a needle and three real (red) '! mungs" called " lujum " in
Ghilasi, which, if accepted, establishes the betrothal of the parties. Then the father of the
bride demands pro forma, 12 tolas [which in Astor and Chilas are worth 24 Rupees of the
value of ten"annas each.]
All real " Shin " people must pay this dowry for their wives in money, provisions
or in the clothes which the bride's father may require. The marriage takes place when the
a passage or word in the Koran. Men and women assemble at that meeting. There appears to
be no purdah whatsoever in Dardu land, and the women are remarkably chaste. The
little imitation of Pardah amongst the Ranis.of Ghilgit was a mere fashion imported from
elsewhere. Till the child receives a name, the woman is declared impure for the seven days
previous to the ceremony. In. Ghilgit 2.7 days are, allowed to elapse till the woman is
declared pure. Then the bed and clothes are washed and the woman is restored to the
company of her husband and the visit of her friends. Men and women eat together
everywhere in Dardu land. In Astor,' raw milk alone cannot be drunk together with a
woman unless thereby it is intended that she should be a sister by faith and come within
the prohibited degrees of relationship. When men drink of the same raw milk they thereby
swear each other eternal friendship. In Ghilgit this custom does not exist, but it will at
once be perceived that much of what has been noted above belongs to Mussulman custom
generally.. When a son is born great rejoicings take place, and in Ghilgit a musket is
fired off by the. father whilst the "Bang" is being read.
(d.)—MARRIAGE.
In Ghilgit it appears to be a more simple ceremony than in Chilas and Astor.
The father of the boy goes to the father of the girl and presents him with a knife about
1^ feet long, 4 yards of cloth and a pumpkin filled with wine. If the father accepts the
present the betrothal is arranged. It is generally the fashion that, after the betrothal,
which is named: '' Sheir qatar wiye, balli piye, == 4 yards cf cloth and a knife he
has given, the pumpkin he has drunk," the marriage takes place. A betrothal is
inviolable, and is only dissolved by death as far as the woman is concerned. The
young man is at liberty to dissolve the contract. When the marriage day arrives
the men and women who are acquainted with the parties range themselves in rows at
the house of the bride, the bridegroom with her at his left sitting together at the end of
the row. The Molla then reads the prayers, the ceremony is completed and the
playing, dancing and drinking begin. It is considered the proper thing for the bride-
groom's father, if he belongs to the true Shin race, to pay 12 tolas of gold of the value [at
Ghilgit] of 15 Rupees Nanakshahi (10 annas each) to the bride's father, who, however, generally>
returns it with the bride, in kind—rdresses, ornaments, &c, &c The 12 tolas are not always, or
even generally, taken in gold, but oftener in kind—clothes, provisions and ornaments. At
Astor the ceremony seems to be a little more complicated. There the arrangements are
managed by third parties; an agent being appointed on either side. The father of the
young man sends a present of a needle and three real (red) '! mungs" called " lujum " in
Ghilasi, which, if accepted, establishes the betrothal of the parties. Then the father of the
bride demands pro forma, 12 tolas [which in Astor and Chilas are worth 24 Rupees of the
value of ten"annas each.]
All real " Shin " people must pay this dowry for their wives in money, provisions
or in the clothes which the bride's father may require. The marriage takes place when the